Singapore Airlines sued for US$1.3 million by flight attendant claims he slipped, hit head during flight from San Francisco

A former flight attendant for Singapore Airlines is suing the carrier for US$1.3 million, saying it failed to provide a safe working environment that led to a career-ending injury.

He was diagnosed with a cervical disc prolapse after the flight, which Durairaj said eventually prevented him from continuing work as a cabin crew member, per Singaporean daily The Straits Times.

Durairaj worked as a flight attendant for Singapore Airlines from April 2016 to April 2021, according to the paper.

According to Durairaj, he initially noticed a three-inch, colourless grease patch in the economy class section while the plane was about to depart San Francisco, per CNA.

He told a senior flight attendant about it and was instructed to clean the patch with disinfectant and a paper towel, though he was unsuccessful, Durairaj said, per CNA.

After telling his superior that the patch remained, the crew tried to clean up the patch one more time, but could not get rid of it, Durairaj said.

As the flight later approached Singapore, Durairaj slipped on the grease, struck his head on the floor, and later had to be escorted out of the plane with a wheelchair, he said, per CNA.

“Had reasonable care been exercised, the grease patch would have been removed or such steps taken to prevent access to the unsafe location,” Durairaj’s lawyers Ramasamy Chettiar and Kasturibai Manickam said in his opening statement, according to the outlet.

The cabin crew could have rolled a pushcart on top of the grease patch, the lawyers said as an example, per CNA.

Durairaj’s team said he is seeking US$1.3 million in compensation, mostly for losses of future earnings and medical expenses.

Singapore Airlines’ lawyers disputed Durairaj’s claims, saying that no such grease patch